


Episode 3: The Party

by c000kiesandcream



Series: The One with the Sitcom AU [3]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: M/M, New York, Party, Sitcom AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-10
Updated: 2017-02-10
Packaged: 2018-09-23 05:29:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9642638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/c000kiesandcream/pseuds/c000kiesandcream
Summary: As night falls on New York, Yuuri and Phichit have a party to get to.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I really enjoyed writing this chapter, so much so that I actually rewrote it about 3 or 4 times before I was happy with it! Sorry, but here, enjoy!

Phichit walked across the hallway to the purple door, which he knocked three times with his free hand. Behind him, Yuuri shuffled his weight between his feet, looking down at the bottles in his hands. Phichit had stopped at the store on his way home from campus to pick up three bottles, one of amaretto, one whiskey and the last vodka, forsaking mixer in the hope that he would be drunk enough later to withstand the taste. Yuuri held two, Phichit held the third. The door opened, and Chris held his arms out to greet them.

‘Hello, you must be _Phichit_ , come in, come in,’ Chris kissed Phichit once on each cheek, who reciprocated, and stepped past him into the apartment. Chris smiled at Yuuri, holding his shoulders and kissing him the same way. A strand of hair fell in front of Yuuri’s eyes, and Chris replaced it in one deft movement. Chris had tucked Phichit’s bottle under his elbow, and took the two from Yuuri’s slightly damp hands.

Yuuri side-stepped Chris into the apartment, his blurry eyes moving carefully around the scene. Only a couple of people were here yet, and there was some quiet music coming from somewhere to his left. Everything was white, glowing slightly in the low lighting. The breakfast bar, the furniture, the walls were all pristine, the glittering light in the centre of the ceiling reflecting off the brilliant surfaces. On each free space on the wall hung a large, delicate frame, with a blur of colour confined to the perfect shape. Phichit had sat on the large, leather couch, beside someone that Yuuri could not recognise. He felt a hand on his back, and something cylindrical being placed into his hand.

‘Thanks,’ he sipped the drink; Chris had poured him a whiskey. ‘Do you have ice?’

‘Hmm, didn’t figure you to be an on-the-rocks guy. In the freezer, help yourself,’ Chris pointed to the right, and walked into the circle of people on the furniture. Hoping there were no obstacles to the freezer, Yuuri carefully walked across the hardwood floor into the white kitchen. The large fridge-freezer stood in the centre of the workspace, and he placed his glass under the dispenser, twisting the cap so that the ice fell into his drink. The red solo cups stood out against their spotless backdrop, but Yuuri appreciated the typical American touch.

He ventured over to the couch and took the free spot next to Phichit, who was in a debate of sorts with one of their upstairs neighbours. Yuuri recognised him from his trips to the mailbox downstairs, and took another sip of his drink as he tried to understand their misunderstanding.

‘You can’t just _deny_ that Kim is the reason the family are the brand they are today,’ the stranger was shaking his long, sandy hair out of his eyes, stroking his facial hair as he watched for Phichit’s reaction.

‘While she may be the _catalyst_ , she is _not_ the reason they’re who they are today. Kendall, Kylie, do these names mean _nothing_ to you?’ Phichit was scrolling furiously through his phone, presumably looking for evidence to support his point.

‘The family name rides on – no pun intended – Kim and her infamous tape,’ the stranger shook his head again, leaning forward to grab a snack from the table. Yuuri followed his lead, also leaning forward to grab what he assumed was a pretzel (it turned out to be a donut), knocking Phichit’s arm, alerting him of his presence.

‘Yuuri, please tell this _mad man_ that Kim is not the most important Kardashian,’ Phichit looked at Yuuri, who could not fully make out his expression. A laugh rose in Yuuri’s throat, but he didn’t feel like that was the response Phichit was looking for.

‘I really don’t think-’ Yuuri was interrupted when the couch dipped on his other side.

‘As a _personal friend_ to the Jenner sisters, I can confirm that Phichit is in fact correct,’ Victor laughed slightly, the sound ringing musically in Yuuri’s ears. As his head turned to face him, Victor winked – Yuuri would have sworn that he winked – as the upstairs neighbour scoffed.

‘You are _all_ insufferable,’ the man turned to speak to Chris, who was sat on the armchair to his right.

Phichit turned to Victor, offering a high-five which was reciprocated. Yuuri sat back once they had finished, tapping the rim of his cup nervously. As always, it was Phichit who spoke first.

‘Wow, so you actually know the Kardashians? That must be fun,’ He had turned his body to face Victor over Yuuri, who mirrored his action.

‘Well, we only did a shoot together a few months back, but still,’ he shrugged, resting his drink on his knee. ‘I just think you had a better point than he did.’

Phichit nodded in appreciation, and glanced at Yuuri.

‘So, Victor, how are you finding New York?’ Phichit reached for his drink on the table, downing it in one quick gulp.

‘I _love_ New York. It’s one of my favourite places to be, but I must say, this building is the best we have lived in by _far_ ,’ he gestured out with both his arms, his wine sloshing in the glass.

Yuuri nodded, drinking again, and Phichit smiled.

‘I’ll be sure to let my dad know you’re settling in well,’ he replaced his empty cup on the table, and tapped out a text on his phone, Yuuri assumed it was to his dad.

‘So your dad is the owner. Well, please let him know that he did not over sell the place,’ Victor pulled his own phone out, and Yuuri did the same, although he couldn’t see what he was doing on the screen without his glasses on.

‘Are you going to be in the building for long? It’s great to finally have young, _fun_ neighbours,’ Phichit reached for a couple of pretzels, dropping one in Yuuri’s outstretched hand and throwing the other into his mouth. Victor nodded in response to this, and his loose hair fell over his shoulder in the movement.

‘At least the year, but it would be nice to just _settle_ , do you know what I mean?’ Victor finished his wine, and stood up as he spoke. ‘I’ll be back, do you boys want another drink?’ Yuuri shook his head, but Phichit had already pulled his cup out of his hand, and handed them over.

Yuuri glanced at his empty hands, and Phichit nudged him.

‘What?’

‘Yuuri, you’re being incredibly anti-social.’

‘Am I? Maybe that’s because I haven’t been allowed to see,’ he reached into his pocket, and Phichit tapped his hand.

‘Nah, you’re still tense. Drink your next drink a little bit quicker, and take a breath,’ Phichit put his arm around Yuuri’s shoulder, pulling him in for a selfie. Yuuri blinked at the light for the first two attempts, but the third time’s a charm.

‘Great,’ Yuuri nodded at the blurry screen that Phichit flashed in front of his eyes for a millisecond.

‘Cool, I’ll upload it. Oh, hey, Victor, thanks,’ Phichit reached up and grabbed his cup back from Victor, sipping tentatively. Yuuri smiled sheepishly as Victor placed the red cup carefully between his fingers, lingering slightly at the touch. Yuuri blushed, looking into the cup and sipping. The cool whiskey left a trail of fire in his throat as he sipped, the burn settling in the nervous pit of his stomach. Why was he _sweating_?

‘Aw, did I miss the selfie action?’ Victor whipped his phone out again, turning away from the boys so that he could get them all in the picture. ‘Look up, Phi,’ he commanded, leaning back into Yuuri’s shoulder, his hair brushing Yuuri’s cheek as he snaps the picture.

‘Perfect,’ Victor sipped his wine as he taps the screen to upload it to whatever app he was using.

‘Hey, can I add you on Snapchat?’ Victor held his phone out to Phichit, who took it eagerly. After tapping on the screen, he handed it back, again glancing at Yuuri.

‘I added Yuuri too, not that he posts _anything_ of interest,’ Phichit nudged him, and Yuuri nodded, sipping his drink again.

‘Oh, I’m sure that’s not true. You two must get up to some fun,’ Victor regarded Yuuri with his light eyes. Yuuri could see the colour clearly, even though he didn’t have his glasses on. Yuuri shrugged.

‘It’s mostly snaps of the library, the paper, or the coffee I’m drinking.’

‘Well, I would love to see the library someday,’ Victor nodded, turning his head as a woman rested her hand on his shoulder. Victor’s face stretched into a large smile, and he stood up, embracing the woman in a close hug.

‘Sara, darling, so glad you could make it. Sara, this is Yuuri, and Phichit. They live opposite, they’re college students at… where do you study?’ His head tilted at his question, the musical laugh escaping his lips again. Sara held her hand out to shake, Phichit first, then Yuuri. She lowered herself on the seat that Victor had occupied, and Yuuri tried to hide his disappointment.

‘Columbia. We both go to Columbia,’ Phichit grinned, turning his body more so that it was directly facing the woman, who looked through her lashes at him.

‘Excellent. And what do you study?’ Victor had pressed a glass of wine into her hands, and she gratefully sipped.

‘Well, I’m pre-med, but I dabble in literature. Yuuri is a literature major, who dabbles in journalism,’ Phichit’s voice echoed slightly as he spoke into his cup, and Sara turned to Yuuri.

‘Really? Journalism? Are you on the paper, too?’ She smiled as she spoke, looking directly at Yuuri. This was the first time he was grateful he couldn’t see clearly.

‘Yeah, I’m one of the journalists there-’ Phichit’s hand was on his chest.

‘Not just a journalist. No, he’s like, second-in-command, or something,’ Phichit nodded, looking at Yuuri, who was looking at his drink.

‘Yeah, I’m front page editor, but I also run specials. JJ pulls the strings though,’ he glanced up at Sara, who was rummaging in her clutch. She pulled out a sleek, white card, and held it out for Yuuri to take as she stood up.

‘Drop me a line and we can get coffee sometime,’ her phone started ringing as she spoke. ‘Excuse me. It was nice to meet you, 6B.’ She offered them both a smile, and turned on her heel, phone to her ear.

Yuuri reached into his pocket for his glasses, and slid them onto his face so that he could see the card properly. It was a simple white card, lined with a silver foil border. The writing was navy blue, but the email address was the same silver foil:

_Sara Crispino._

_Editor of Arts and Culture at GQ._

_s.crispino@GQ.com_

‘Damn, she works at _GQ_?’ Phichit snatched the card out of his hand, turning it over in front of him.

‘Who was she?’ The upstairs neighbour had turned back to Yuuri and Phichit, who both looked at him.

The cup in Yuuri’s hand was empty, and he stood up. He didn’t realise just how much he’d had poured for him, and he stumbled a little.

The room had filled up while they had been sat there. People moved amongst each other, the furniture remaining an island in the crowd. Placing his empty glass down, he used his free hand to pat his trouser pocket for his cigarettes.

Yuuri smoked, but only when he was nervous. And his nerves had been stretched to breaking point tonight. He had left his pack on his bedside table, so he headed for the door.

Bodies pressed against his hands as he pushed through, unsure of when he had started to feel this drunk. He eventually got to the front door, and was out in the hallway. Pushing through the yellow door, he crossed the floor quickly, letting the door swing shut behind him.

Clothes littered the bed, which had remained unmade from the night before. Stacks of books and newspapers were scattered across his large desk, and he had left his highlighter uncapped. He tested it before replacing the cap, amazed that it still worked.

The box of cigarettes on his bedside table had two left, and he sighed. This meant that he needed to make a trip to Eric’s.

He slipped his arms out of Phichit’s ridiculous jacket, and pulled his leather jacket from the pile on the bed. After searching through his drawer for the lighter he knew was there, he tracked back through the apartment and started heading down the stairs.

A buzz from his pocket made him jump, as Phcihit text him.

_Where are you?_

He tapped back a quick reply, before pulling Sara’s card back out from his pocket. How had he lucked out and got a _card_ at a party where he was drinking _whiskey on the rocks_? This was all very grown-up, and after slipping the card back into his pocket, he realised he hadn’t given her a card back. Not that he _had_ a card to give her. But he wished he had one.

While he considered getting cards that read _Yuuri Katsuki: Aspiring Adult_ , he heard footsteps behind him. Just as he stepped onto the lobby floor, he felt a hand resting on his shoulder, and Victor was stood beside him, bent over slightly. The silver hair that hung to his waist fell down as he caught his breath, before he straightened up, smiling at Yuuri, head tilted to the side.

‘Hey, Yuuri! Phichit said you were heading out for five, and I’m so  _glad_  I didn’t miss you! So, where are we going?’ He linked Yuuri’s arm, and steered him towards the door. They both stepped out into the cool October air and onto the sidewalk, where Victor unlinked his arm and stood facing Yuuri, arms crossed, waiting. Yuuri realised he hadn’t spoken since Victor had asked his question.

‘Oh, erm,’ Yuuri tapped his trousers again, and remembered why they had left. ‘Cigarettes. I need cigarettes.’

‘Cigarettes. Okay,’ Victor’s head snapped left and right, as he looked up and down the street for a 24-hour store. Yuuri stepped in front of him, nodding his head for him to follow. Victor obliged, and stepped aside, arm outstretched to indicate that Yuuri was to lead the way. They started a slow step along the sidewalk. The store Yuuri was heading to was 3 blocks away, and that was a long way for silence, but he didn’t really know what to say to Victor. He could not think of anything that the two had in common, apart from an apartment building and the fact that both liked men, as far as Yuuri could tell. 

‘You’re nervous around me. Why?’ Victor’s eyes bore into the side of Yuuri’s head, and Yuuri felt the heat of a blush creep the back of his neck as he tried to think of a response. Victor turned away, hoping that Yuuri didn’t notice that he had seen.

He snapped a thin elastic that was on his wrist, scraping his hair behind his head, and into a ponytail. The tie was wrapped around the silver hair in a swift, familiar movement, and Yuuri watched out of the corner of his eye as Victor shook his hair out behind him. Yuuri raised his arm to motion that they needed to turn this corner, and Victor obliged.

‘I’m sorry. I’m not usually rude-’ Victor stopped and grabbed Yuuri’s arm.

‘I don’t think you’re rude! Oh, I’m sorry. I’m just, I’m not used to people being this hesitant with me. People are usually a lot more... a lot more forthcoming,’ Victor laughed, releasing Yuuri’s arm and rubbing the back of his neck in the same way Yuuri did when he was nervous.

‘Okay, sorry. I didn’t mean to confuse you. I’m just, I’m a nervous person I guess,’ Yuuri laughed slightly. Taxis whizzed past them, and Yuuri glanced sideways at the man beside him.

Why had Victor followed him out here? What did he have to gain from leaving his own party early? Perhaps it was a Russian thing (Yuuri had read that Victor was born in Saint Petersburg online). Yuuri reached out to Victor to get his attention, stopping just short of his arm, and pointing across the street where they needed to cross. Victor followed, still watching Yuuri as he walked in silence next to him.

‘So, how long have you lived in New York?’ Victor ventured, unfamiliar with how to deal with uncomfortable silences. Yuuri shook his head in response, shaking some hair free from the confines of the gel.

‘I was born and raised in a little spa town in Japan. I moved here just a couple of years ago when I took a year out from my university there to study at Columbia. They offered me a scholarship, and Phichit offered me  _incredibly_  affordable accommodation, so I couldn’t really refuse. Plus, I fell in love with the city,’ here Yuuri gestured out to the street that stretched in front of them. There was something about the cold air that had cleared Yuuri’s head slightly, and the alcohol had made his lips looser.

On their right ran the cold railings that fenced in Central Park, the lights from the streetlamps illuminating the pavements that were not as densely packed as they were in the mid-day. New York at night was Yuuri’s favourite type of city. The city that never sleeps slowed down just enough for him to breathe.

‘The city is remarkable, Yuuri. It’s been a while since we were last here,’ Victor trailed off, as they had reached the store, stepping into the cool fluorescent light.

The damp floors glittered with the light; a teenage boy with headphones in was buffing with an ancient machine down the aisle. Even as the doorbell chimed, his head hung down, dyed blonde hair obscuring his eyes from view. Victor caught sight of a flash of red hair amongst the blonde, and almost spoke out to him, but he was interrupted when man behind the counter popped up, smiling, and holding a hand up as a welcome to Yuuri.

‘Hello, Yuuri, and friend!’ The old man’s sunken eyes beamed at the young men in the shop, and Yuuri smiled back.

‘Hey Earl. Usual please,’ Yuuri was searching his pockets for his wallet, looking down. Earl reached under the counter for a light blue packet of cigarettes.

 ‘Anything else?’ Earl glanced at the well-dressed stranger behind Yuuri, who was perusing the candy that was stacked neatly beneath the counter. Victor leaned forward, not bending his knees as his arm reached to grab a packet, tossing them onto the counter with a smile. Earl looked back at Yuuri, who was tapping his pockets frantically.

‘Aw, no,’ he muttered, glancing into the empty pockets of his jacket repeatedly, looking up at Earl, and smiling sheepishly.

‘My wallet-’ Before Yuuri could finish, Victor slapped a Black American Express card down on the counter.

‘Do you take credit?’ He flashed a dazzling smile, glancing at the old register dubiously. Yuuri just stared at the card, and then back at Earl, who burst out laughing.

‘Nah, we don’t, but thanks. Yuuri, tomorrow, no exceptions!’ He handed over the pack, and Yuuri bowed as thanks. Victor also bowed, and motioned to place the candy back. Earl held his hand out and shook his head.

‘No, those too. Any friend of Yuuri’s is a friend of mine,’ he smiled, and waved them out the store.

When they stepped back on the cold sidewalk, Yuuri lit up, sucking hard on the cigarette. The nicotine was already entering his system, tingling slightly as it mixed with the alcohol already steaming through his bloodstream. Victor watched as Yuuri closed his eyes, savouring the cold grey smoke that he blew out slowly. With it, Yuuri released a tense sigh. His headache had subsided slightly, and he smiled at Victor, offering him a smoke. Victor accepted, and offered him a rope as thanks, which Yuuri also accepted.

‘Let’s head back,’ Yuuri started down the path back the way they had come, and Victor followed, leaving a trail of smoke that mingled with his hair as it blew in the wind. ‘I’m sure Chris misses you.’

‘Chris has categorically  _not_  missed me,’ Victor laughed, taking another delicate drag on his cigarette. He didn’t sound sorry about the fact.

‘I’m sure he has,’ Yuuri offered as recompense, but Victor shook his head.

‘I bet he hasn’t even noticed I’ve gone.’

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I really liked how this ended (I know) but please leave comments! Let me know what you like or don't like about it, I wanna know who's reading!! Oh, and if you're ever on Tumblr [ check out my sideblog! ](https://c000kiesandcream.tumblr.com)


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